In his first public comments addressing allegations that he slept with prostitutes later murdered in a string of unsolved killings, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) blamed one of his top opponents in Louisiana’s U.S. Senate race for spreading the “false” rumors.
“The allegations made about me by Ethan Brown and spread by the Kennedy campaign are wholly and completely false. It is all total lies – and everyone, even John Kennedy, knows it,” Boustany said in a Wednesday news conference, according to the New Orleans Advocate.
Boustany accused Louisiana state Treasurer John Kennedy, who is currently leading in polls of the crowded 24-person race, of perpetuating the claims laid out in journalist Ethan Brown’s newly-published book, “Murder in the Bayou.” The book cites interviews with three anonymous sources who claim Boustany slept with several of eight sex workers found dead in Louisiana’s Jefferson Davis Parish between 2005-2009. Brown reported there was “no evidence” that Boustany had any link to the murders.
“John Kennedy is the only candidate who has spread this false story against me. His staff was sending it to people all over Louisiana instantly after it appeared online,” Boustany said, according to the Advocate. “Many of you were the recipients of calls, texts, and emails from his staff and associates shopping this story. His campaign manager was exposed in a story in The Advocate last night (Tuesday) admitting to peddling these lies.”
The newspaper reported that Kennedy’s campaign manager, Kim Allen, last week texted an elected official a link to BuzzFeed News’ coverage of the allegations against Boustany outlined in Brown’s book.
The campaign told the Advocate they did not write or publish the book, and were merely sharing what they had heard.
“I send published news stories about Louisiana every day to interested parties,” Allen told the newspaper.
Boustany’s wife, Bridget, sent an email to supporters on Tuesday accusing his opponents of spreading “lies” about him. That email prompted Boustany’s rivals to issue statements denying any involvement in surfacing the prostitution allegations, raising the story to the level of national attention.
